I was wondering about the possible lineup. Though we need to rest some key players .. we need to still go for a kill. Moreover, Palace is a reckless team .. and I reckon they would score atleast one against us .. Heinze and Roon have got a lot of work to do at San Siro .. how about resting them? Hmmphhh .. perhaps Saha Ruud Giggs Smith Scholes Oshea/Ronaldo Silvestre Brown Rio Gary/Phil(??) Howard It would be a complete win for me if we win while ruud scores a couple of trademark goals of his .. !
Re: Palace vs ManU Don't start threads like these without adding [R] to it and a date or day might not be a bad idea either... oops... Welcome to BIGSOCCER I like the idea of resting Heinze, but Keane needs to play this game as he had the last one off... perhaps Scholes gets rested though I'm not sure we can win without a brilliant individual effort from Giggs or Ronaldo unless we have Rooney or Scholes in the team.
Lineup: Howard Brown Rio Silvestre O'Shea Ronaldo Keane Scholes Giggs Smith/Saha Ruud I don't think that Gary will be available. I'm guessing that Heinze may be rested but maybe Heinze never needs to rest. Whoever is more fit between Smith and Saha should start alongside Ruud.
Smithy is back. I dont think i am the only one glad to see him return, though he hopefully gets back to his usual form after so many weeks out injured. He was in the midfield and looked a bit out of step. I'd like to see Ruud get some time against CP. He looked dynamatie against Pompey at times, but I'd like to see him get his pace and skills in order, again after so many weeks out. I know many people might want to take CP easily because they are newly promoted, but they put up such a fight last time we played. If any team survives relegation, it will be them. These guys fight up and down the pitch, are determined, and well run by their manager.
AJ is a problem too... so quick and oft fouled... we will need a spotless game from Rio and Silvestre to avoid conceeding a goal or a penalty in this one... holding the ball will be very important...
Rooney is on a roll and he needs more playing time with Ruud before the Milan game. So I'd say play Rooney + Ruud for half a match and then take one of them off at half time. I'd play Brown at right back if G.Neville is not available. Brown failed to clear the ball last time against Portsmouth and that cost us the goal. Heinze looked tired against Portsmount but he is almost as important as Rio in our defense. If he's fit, he should play. Howard is automatic choice now that SAF has given him another chance to prove himself ahead of the San Siro game. Let's start with a strong lineup and try to finish the game in the first half. Then we can bring on some subs early in the second half to keep everyone fresh.
Ruud definitely needs the game, at this point resting isn't on the agenda and every game brings that little bit of sharpness back. So Ruud is a definite starter for me. Rooney is on top form, so I'd like it if we could keep him fresh for the Milan game and play Saha up with Ruud. Against Andy Johnson, I'd like to see Rio and Silvestre, no chances taken. Should Gary be unavailable, I agree that Wes should start. Howard in goal definitely. Maybe Smith in midfield.
I'd rest Heinze, Keane, and Scholes. The rest of the players don't seem to be showing signs of fatigue. Let's hope Palace don't win a penalty. Gosh they're good at it.
I like the idea of Smith in goal too... he could play along side Keane seeing as Scholes could use a rest... Smith looked very good with his passes as he was both creative and consistent... he did disappear at times, but whenever he got the ball he knew what to do with it... he's one of the few players who adds steel to the midfeel (<yeah, I kno) without taking away creativity. It would also allow us to play Saha and Ruud together thus getting all the strikers fit at the same time... My line up would be... -------------------Ruud ---------------Saha Fortune----------------------Giggs/Ronaldo -----------Keane----Smith O'Shea---Silvestre-Ferdinand---Brown ---------------Howard I would not be suprised to see this though... -------------------Ruud Giggs---------------------------------Ronaldo ------Fortune------Keano-------Smith O'shea----Silvestre-----Ferdinand----Brown -------------------Howard I could see Rooney as a sub for a winger in this as well as maybe Phil coming in and moving Fortune or O'Shea
So certain starters look like : Howard, Silvestre, Feridnand, Brown, Smith, Giggs and Ruud. Should I add Keano to the list as well? And ofcourse, certain bench-warmers : Henize, Ronaldo(?). I now have a feeling that SAF may want Scholes to play for some time .. to maintain the momentum .. and, like triplelake said, Rooney may still pair up with Ruud for perhaps the first half. Cool .. so the pseudo-lineup looks like (to me) : Howard Rio Silvestre Ohsea Brown Giggs/Ronaldo Keane Smith Scholey/Fortune Ruud Rooney/Saha Apropros the Milan match .. three things I would like to see in this clash : A Ruud goal, a lovely Howard save, and another Ruud goal!! ps: sorry for the missed thread-protocols.
AJ is a sneaky one that needs to be kept quite. Although he'd even be more sneaky if he was more Polish!
Precisely my sentiments. Better watch out for him, crafty! We need the win for 2reasons. Title chase and confidence into the Milan clash. I really hope Ruud scores. Dunno much bout what team we will play. Couldn't care less as long as we win and Ruud gets sharper.
Miller in contention? http://www.soccercentral.ie/viewstory.asp?mainheading=Republic of Ireland&id=14673&viewstory=yes
Well is he?? May warm the bench .. and if we finish of the game a little earlier .. he may make it to the field as well!!! PS : before the season began, I expected the likes of Spector and Miller to be certain starters against teams like CP!
Must admit I thought the same, Spector and a few of the youngsters would get more of a shot against the lower ranked teams. Admittedly, every game is so bloody important now. Jammy, what do they charge on ppv down there? I was going to order the Pool – Chelski match and it was $24; that’s in Canadian pesos, mind you. I’d spend it to watch our guys, though my wife would… well leave it at that.
Me too. But at this point I don't think Fergie will be taking any more chances. Most of our players should have a good summer rest this year (no World Cup/European Cup/Olympics), so I think the first team players can expect to keep playing 'till May.
This game would be the perfect oppurtunity to introduce the world to Rossi. Should be GK Howard LB Spector CM Silvestre CB Ferdinand RB Brown CM Fortune CM Smith CM Rossi CF Giggs CF v Nistelrooy CF Ronaldo in that 4-3-3 formation, you know when we havn't got the ball we make it a five man midfield.
Selhurst Park bans Catona masks from Cantona Day "A section of the Red Devils support have designated Saturday's encounter with Palace as 'Cantona day' and threatened to wear the masks in honour of their hero."
I like our chances based on our current form. However, CP does pose a threat as they are still fighting relegation. AJ has doe a tremendous job at drawing penalties this year so that is a concern. If we play like we did against Portsmouth and not finish the game off but let them back in it then this game will be tough. We really need the guys on the field to play with some fire and go into the Milan game with some energy. A small blow out win would be nice to see but I doubt it will happen that way.
I'd really, really like to see at least one youngster start this match, too. They have to get meaningful games at some point. I'd make it Rossi instead of Pique or Spector, though, due to Andy Johnson's remarkable ability to fall over without being accused of diving. Incidentally, does it annoy anybody else how he's evaded the tag? For the 2nd penalty in Crystal Palace's last game...Johnson dived. If anybody thinks the contact forced him to go down, or even inconvenienced him all that much...they're delusional or were drunk at the time. Yet he gets a free pass. Perhaps because he "embodies" all that's right about the retro-English game. He works hard, he's not all that great technically, and he's not perceived as being as spoiled as the players at the big clubs. And if he does dive...well, he's trying to save a club from relegation and it's perhaps easier to forgive someone playing for those kinds of stakes. The survival of the club...blah blah blah. Sorry, Palace fans and neutrals. He's a diver. He dives more than Rooney and is better at it than Ronaldo.
You want answer, there it is in a nutshell. How many times did you hear of Rooney being a 'horrible diver' before the summer (and I'm not referring to the Euros)? It is one of my biggest irritations with fans in the world - and BigSoccer seems to draw a fascinating number of these types. What's the odds if Palace go down the Johnson will be picked up by a good team probably outside he big three (e.g. Charlton, Birmingham, Villa), who he will then help hit the halfway point between the best (ManUtd, Arsenal, Chelsea) and the rest that some teams like Liverpool have occupied for some years and suddenly become a 'bit of a diver'. If he then makes the move to a big team 2 or so years later, God help him!
I don't want to see any of the young players out there this weekend. United does best with the siege mentality, having to win every game. I'm afraid that if Spector or Rossi was in the starting lineup that it would look like SAF was conceeding the title. Keep with the big players on the pitch and keep up the intensity. We need it for Tuesday.
I see it much the same way. We can't afford to p**s about at this stage, nor can we afford to take Palace lightly.